Rustic Courtyard Wedding at The Alexandrian Hotel

Looking for the most charming red brick courtyard here in Old Town Alexandria? Well look no further than The Alexandrian Hotel whose beautiful space is perfect for outdoor ceremonies, cocktail hours and receptions. Kate and Os’ rustic courtyard wedding took place in this very space with their closest family and friends.

Extraordinary Style

Kate’s bouquet was anything but ordinary. The king protea definitely captured our attention, with an equally beautiful supporting cast of ranunculus, butterfly ranunculus, white wax flower, eucalyptus and magnolia foliage. Finishing her bridal look was a lush crown of seeded eucalyptus foliage accented with touches of wax flower.

The vision for the rustic courtyard wedding included many shades of greenery, and they embraced the all green shades throughout! The bridesmaids wore stunning emerald green dresses, and their bouquets were foliage heavy. Boutonnieres of mixed greens graced the men’s lapels, with Os sporting a small succulent.

Kate Seamands and Os Guzman's mini-mony at the Alexandrian Hotel in Alexandria, Virginia

Photo by Lindsay King Photography

Kate and Os's mini-mony at the Alexandrian Hotel in Alexandria, Virginia September 19, 2020.

Photo by Lindsay King Photography

Kate and Os's mini-mony at the Alexandrian Hotel in Alexandria, Virginia

Photo by Lindsay King Photography

Rustic protea and eucalyptus bouquet for courtyard wedding at The Alexandrian Hotel

Photo by Lindsay King Photography

Ceremony

Their rustic courtyard wedding style was absolutely perfect for the courtyard – organic and rustic with a touch of whimsy. The ceremony set with two rustic wine barrels, each holding a large, organic design of hydrangea, stock, roses and spray roses in shades of white and ivory with wisps of Queen Anne’s lace and finished with richly textured lemon leaf and eucalyptus foliages.

Rustic courtyard wedding at the Alexandrian Hotel in Alexandria, Virginia

Photo by Lindsay King Photography

Kate Seamands and Os Guzman's mini-mony at the Alexandrian Hotel in Alexandria, Virginia September 19, 2020.

Photo by Lindsay King Photography

Reception

For the reception, a combination of elegant eucalyptus garlands and terrariums created an elegant ambiance for the rustic courtyard wedding. The sweetheart table featured a garland along the front rim further accented with white O’Hara garden roses, ranunculus, and wax flower. Keeping with our rustic theme, the cake was ringed with a lush treatment of eucalyptus along the base.

Photo by Lindsay King Photography

Rustic courtyard wedding at The Alexandrian Hotel

Photo by Lindsay King Photography

Rustic courtyard wedding at The Alexandrian Hotel with geometric terrarium and eucalyptus garland

Photo by Lindsay King Photography

Cake ringed with eucalyptus for rustic courtyard wedding at The Alexandrian Hotel, Alexandria, VA

Photo by Lindsay King Photography

Photo by Lindsay King Photography

Kate and Os were such a pleasure to work with and we wish them the best in their first year of marriage!

Photo by Lindsay King Photography

Venue: The Alexandrian Hotel

Photography: Lindsay King

Florist: Petal’s Edge Floral Design

Music: Chris Styles, DJ Xtreme Sound

Hair & Make Up: Make up by Ana B

Cake: Fluffy Thoughts

Coordinator: Hannah Warren

Before the installations. Before the ballroom glow. There’s this - buckets, stems, the quiet rhythm of preparation.

#weddingfloral #dcweddingflorist #weddingfloraldesign #dcwedding #floristlife #behindtheblooms #studiodays

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Before the installations. Before the ballroom glow. There’s this - buckets, stems, the quiet rhythm of preparation.

#weddingfloral #dcweddingflorist #weddingfloraldesign #dcwedding #floristlife #behindtheblooms #studiodays

With a palette of orange, burgundy, and white, Kerry & Brendan’s wedding at the Woodrow Wilson House was a study in contrast: cassic in form, but unexpected in color. Kerry carried a classic bouquet of white garden roses, ranunculus, and lisianthus with ruscus and eucalyptus foliage, while her bridesmaids’ bouquets brought color with orange and burgundy blooms that popped against their gowns. The reception brought old world charm with tall cathedral candlestick centerpieces draped in amaranthus while lush, low garden urns held flowers in classic but textured greens and whites. The result was warm, textural, and timeless, a celebration that felt both refined and joyfully vibrant.⁣
⁣
📍@wwilsonhouse⁣
🍽️ @rsvpcateringdc
📷 @astridphoto⁣
💐@petalsedgedc

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With a palette of orange, burgundy, and white, Kerry & Brendan’s wedding at the Woodrow Wilson House was a study in contrast: cassic in form, but unexpected in color. Kerry carried a classic bouquet of white garden roses, ranunculus, and lisianthus with ruscus and eucalyptus foliage, while her bridesmaids’ bouquets brought color with orange and burgundy blooms that popped against their gowns. The reception brought old world charm with tall cathedral candlestick centerpieces draped in amaranthus while lush, low garden urns held flowers in classic but textured greens and whites. The result was warm, textural, and timeless, a celebration that felt both refined and joyfully vibrant.⁣
⁣
📍@wwilsonhouse⁣
🍽️ @rsvpcateringdc
📷 @astridphoto⁣
💐@petalsedgedc

𝙋𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙨... 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙘.⁣
⁣
Caroline & Corey`s ceremony embraced fall in the best way: an aisle lined with heirloom pumpkins in soft neutrals and washed-out oranges, surrounded by florals that felt gathered from the season itself. Paired with candlelight, the look was more harvest elegance than Halloween. Texture, repetition, and color did the storytelling. It is proof that seasonal details can feel sophisticated when they are thoughtfully chosen and placed with intention.⁣
⁣
📍Mount Vernon Inn⁣
📷 @adealeweddings⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc

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𝙋𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙨... 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙘.⁣
⁣
Caroline & Corey's ceremony embraced fall in the best way: an aisle lined with heirloom pumpkins in soft neutrals and washed-out oranges, surrounded by florals that felt gathered from the season itself. Paired with candlelight, the look was more harvest elegance than Halloween. Texture, repetition, and color did the storytelling. It is proof that seasonal details can feel sophisticated when they are thoughtfully chosen and placed with intention.⁣
⁣
📍Mount Vernon Inn⁣
📷 @adealeweddings⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc

Amanda & Jack’s Woodend wedding drew its inspiration from a William Morris print - lush, romantic, and rooted in nature. The florals carried that spirit through every detail: moss runners lined the tables, dotted with petite brown bottles of chamomile, blush spray roses, and wisps of greenery that felt as if they had grown there overnight. Cloche domes held tiny blooms like keepsakes. Brass animals cradled florals as though part of the garden itself, a perfect nod to the nature sanctuary venue. (Which ones can you find?) Even the greenery-lined staircase framing the cake echoed the same story. Every bloom was chosen for texture and movement, bringing that painterly, botanical world to life in three dimensions.

📍 @woodendsanctuary⁣
📷 @amypaperbird⁣
🍽 @purpleonioncatering⁣
💐@petalsedgedc⁣
📋@lotusevent_co

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Amanda & Jack’s Woodend wedding drew its inspiration from a William Morris print - lush, romantic, and rooted in nature. The florals carried that spirit through every detail: moss runners lined the tables, dotted with petite brown bottles of chamomile, blush spray roses, and wisps of greenery that felt as if they had grown there overnight. Cloche domes held tiny blooms like keepsakes. Brass animals cradled florals as though part of the garden itself, a perfect nod to the nature sanctuary venue. (Which ones can you find?) Even the greenery-lined staircase framing the cake echoed the same story. Every bloom was chosen for texture and movement, bringing that painterly, botanical world to life in three dimensions.

📍 @woodendsanctuary⁣
📷 @amypaperbird⁣
🍽 @purpleonioncatering⁣
💐@petalsedgedc⁣
📋@lotusevent_co

When Mother Nature takes her cues from the tablescape. 😉⁣
⁣
At River Farm, the serpentine table looked as though it had grown right out of the landscape. Florals in plum, blush, taupe, and eggplant wound between wood candle holders and fruit, creating a rhythm that felt perfectly in step with the surrounding gardens. The palette was moody but soft, a study in texture and tone rather than contrast. It is our favorite kind of designs: one that blurs the line between what is arranged and what simply belongs.⁣
⁣
📍 @riverfarm_va⁣
📷 @ashleewilcoxphoto⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc⁣
🪑 @curatedeventsdmv
📜 @thestationeryarchitect⁣
📋@simplybold_events

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Open post by petalsedgedc with ID 18071126419997470

When Mother Nature takes her cues from the tablescape. 😉⁣
⁣
At River Farm, the serpentine table looked as though it had grown right out of the landscape. Florals in plum, blush, taupe, and eggplant wound between wood candle holders and fruit, creating a rhythm that felt perfectly in step with the surrounding gardens. The palette was moody but soft, a study in texture and tone rather than contrast. It is our favorite kind of designs: one that blurs the line between what is arranged and what simply belongs.⁣
⁣
📍 @riverfarm_va⁣
📷 @ashleewilcoxphoto⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc⁣
🪑 @curatedeventsdmv
📜 @thestationeryarchitect⁣
📋@simplybold_events

We call it the creep…

Everyone talks about the rising cost of flowers, but there’s another story behind the numbers: time. Over the years, wedding timelines have stretched. First looks, detail shots, getting-ready portraits, ceremony and reception setups starting hours earlier than before, and more complex with event breakdowns. Florists are often still paid by the piece, not by the hour, yet the hours have multiplied.

What was once a 2 to 4 hour delivery day has quietly turned into a 12 to 16 hour production days with setup, standby, and late-night breakdowns. And flowers are still perishable, so they cannot sit out waiting for the photography timeline to catch up.

When couples ask why flowers cost more now, this is part of the answer. It is not just about stems or supply chains. It is the labor, the logistics, and the reality that perfection takes time, often a lot more than it used to.

Cover @masonphotography

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